Agency theory
Cards (13)
- Applications that have arisen from this theoryMethodology used in developing this theoryEvidence for and againstAlternative theory
- Peoples tendency to obey people has a useful function it helps to keep society running smoothly because people abide by rules instead of acting independently
- The first state is autonomous where the person believes they have the power - freely choose their behaviour and take control of their own actions (own moral code)
- The second state is agentic where the person allows someone else to direct their behaviour (that they aren't responsible for the consequences of their behaviour)
- The agent state can be explained through evolution due to it being used as a survival strategy where following leaders in a threatening situation
- Acting agentically is learned in childhood like in schools where kids are taught to put aside their own wishes for order maintenance
- It also suggests people experience moral strain when they feel that their obedient behaviour is wrong
- Displacing responsibility onto authority figures reduces moral strain or through dissenting
- Evidence for (milligrams study provides evidence for..)+ It supports moral strain+ It supports evidence for The concept of displacement+ Supported by other research like in hofling et al 1966
- Evidence for= Lacks direct evidence as agency is an internal mental process and cannot be directly observed (low in validity)= The theory is more a description rather than an explanation
- Methodology+ Used standardised procedures for good replication with a different variable to see what has the main impacts+ Increases scientific credibility
- Methodology= Lacked mundane realism= low in generalisability and ecological validity
- Applications+ Agency theory Explains real life events+ Studies from different cultures also support agency theory+ Hofling et al 1966 (how nurses obeyed orders)= Does not explain individual differences (why some people obey and don't and do)